Java with Juli ® Podcast

Kia Stephens knows many women (like herself) who looked to the arms of other men for the affirmation they longed to receive from their fathers. In this episode, Kia shares how she traded the pain of what her earthly father couldn’t give her for the perfect love of her heavenly Father. This conversation is for all of us, but you'll find it especially meaningful if you've ever felt unloved by your father.

Guest: Kia Stephens

Show notes:

• Overcoming Father Wounds by Kia Stephens
• Leave us a rating and review
• Take the Father Wounds Quiz

Tired of having the same fight with your spouse—over and over again? Are you stuck in a place of shame, grief or bitterness? Perhaps you feel stuck in your relationship with God. Juli sits down with Greg and Erin Smalley to encourage you to find a Christian counselor who can help you get, well, unstuck.

Grab your Java and join us.

Guests: Dr. Greg & Erin Smalley

Show notes:

• God, Sex, and Your Marriage workbook, by Dr. Juli Slattery
• How to Choose a Wise Counselor (Juli's blog)
• The FOTF Network of Christian Counselors
• Fight Your Way To a Better Marriage by Greg and Erin Smalley*

*Affiliate link. AI may earn fees.

For most of her childhood, Laura wanted to be a boy. In her 20s, she began hormone therapy, had surgery and lived as "Jake" for nine years. But she could never quite shake the feeling that none of it was real. "I remember looking at the photo on my driver's license and saying, 'I'm not as happy as I think I am.'"  In this episode, Laura shares her remarkable story of desperation, hope and transformation.

Guest: Laura Perry Smalts

Show notes:

• Transgender to Transformed by Laura Perry Smalts*
• Java #396 Diverse Gender Identities: How to See the People Behind the Issue
• Java #397 How to Help Families Navigate Questions About Gender Identity
• Become an AI Member

*Affiliate link. AI may earn fees.

Are you sexually mismatched in marriage? Do you feel like you're in "drive" all the time while your spouse is in neutral (or even putting on the brakes)? Here's good news: You're likely closer than you think. Sex therapist Dr. Michael Sytsma and analyst Shaunti Feldhahn share about two types of desire, "receptive desire" and "initiating desire," and how to build a bridge between to the two.

Guests: Shaunti Feldhahn & Dr. Michael Systma

Show notes:

• Secrets of Sex and Marriage: 8 Surprises That Make All the Difference by Shaunti Feldhahn & Dr. Michael Sytsma*
• Dr. Sytsma's practice: Building Intimate Marriages
• Join Juli for Second Cup

*Affiliate link. AI may earn fees.

Teen girls and LGBQ+ youth are experiencing more sadness, hopelessness, and violence than ever before. Join Juli and Dr. Mark Mayfield, an expert in suicide prevention, to learn what you can do to help the teens in your life feel seen, loved, and valued.

Guest: Dr. Mark Mayfield

Show notes:

• The Path Out of Loneliness Dr. Mark Mayfield
• Help! My Teen is Self-Injuring (PDF)
• Connect with your teen using tools from Axis.org*
• From the CDC: U.S. Teen Girls Experiencing Increased Sadness and Violence

*Affiliate link. AI may earn fees.